HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

With the odds reaching their longest Tuesday night, the Columbus High School slow-pitch softball team dug down and found a way.
Columbus scored three runs in the home half of the seventh inning to rally for a stunning 14-13 victory against New Hope at Lady Falcons Field.

Liz Fields and Liz Byrne never could have imagined their construction project would go like this.
As volleyball veterans who played the sport in college, Fields and Byrne brought enthusiasm and a love for the game to their initial practices with Heritage Academy's first-year volleyball program.

With her team struggling offensively and defensively, Hebron Christian junior pitcher Chloe Tapley took matters into her hands.
Tapley struck out seven and allowed five hits to help Hebron Christian hold off Heritage Academy 4-2 in a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools fast-pitch softball game Tuesday at Harper-Hutchins Field.

STARKVILLE -- The Starkville High School volleyball team made its new home feel like its old home Monday night.
Playing for the first time at the Starkville SportsPlex, Starkville put an exclamation point on its 2011 home opener, rolling past Heritage Academy 25-21, 25-12, 25-10 on Monday night.
The match was the first for the Heritage Academy volleyball program.

SULLIGENT, Ala. -- Scott Marchant looks good in blue.
After spending the past nine years wearing the cardinal, black, and white of Pickens County High School, Marchant now patrols the sidelines at Sulligent High wearing royal blue.

STARKVILLE -- Maybe this is the season Columbus High School becomes part of the playoff conversation in Class 6A football.
Columbus sent a message quickly to the Class 4A North Half finalists Noxubee County with a 27-12 victory Saturday in the Fall High School Jamboree at Mississippi State's Davis Wade Stadium.

STARKVILLE -- As junior defensive end Juan Cedano began to grab the football and rumble 95 yards for a touchdown, every New Hope High School football fan was trying to figure who that was winning the game for their team.
After the fumble recovery and touchdown with just 31 seconds left in the contest, the Trojans earned a 7-0 victory in the final game of the Fall High School Jamboree at Mississippi State's Davis Wade Stadium.

STARKVILLE -- The template is set, and David Fair doesn't care if it means he has to be everywhere to execute it.
On Saturday, Fair showed he and his teammates on the Starkville High School defense are up to the challenge.

STARKVILLE -- The difference in the huddles was noticeable.
On one side, a coach told his players they are a "four-quarter team" and encouraged the silent bunch to keep its head up.
Down the left sideline, a giddy group of Wildcats couldn't contain themselves as they celebrated.

STARKVILLE -- Josh Williams hasn't taken a lot of snaps with the Aberdeen High School varsity football team.
But Williams doesn't need to spend a lot off time under center to know size when he sees -- and feels -- it.

It's finally here, and it just so happens it will be played on an even bigger stage.
Six area teams will participate today in the second annual New Hope Jamboree at Mississippi State's Davis Wade Stadium.

It isn't Tabitha Beard's style to sugar coat things, so she isn't going to start this season.
Beard grew up in a New Hope High School softball program that prided itself on winning championships. As coach, she has continued that tradition, leading the Lady Trojans' slow-pitch team to its fourth state title in a row (second in Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A), and 13th overall, last season.

Bryan Loague has faced Hamilton High School enough times in softball to know about the program's tradition.
That's why Loague didn't waste any time once he learned slow-pitch assistant coach and fast-pitch coach Jason Cobb was stepping down to take another job outside of the school.

If you look close enough, you can almost see Him in his eyes. Maybe that is wishful thinking. Maybe that is the calming effect Marcus Sims' words have on you as you discuss his fight to regain normalcy.

MACON -- Scott Parenteau's job is to keep the momentum rolling.
Word already is out that the Noxubee County High School football team will play host to Louisville High as part of season three of Cellular South's "Y'all vs. Us" prep football series.

There's bad and then there's really bad.
From Madison Clark's perspective, the Heritage Academy girls soccer team had left bad behind in its first games at the Lee University Soccer Camp and was trying to avoid having multiple uses of really associated with its play.
Then something changed.

CALEDONIA -- Elisha Collins was concerned.
On paper, Collins knew the Caledonia High School volleyball team lost key pieces from the 2010 team that advanced to the Mississippi High School Activities Association Division I State Tournament.

PHEBA -- Making adjustments sounds simple.
But it's easy to lose sight of the little things when the adrenaline is flowing and the pitcher is rushing the ball to the plate.
Three times Katlyn Petty tried to get a hit against Chloe Tapley. Three times she struck out.
Her fourh at-bat was different in a big way.